A.Word.A.Day

A.Word.A.Day--lahar

If you speak English, you know words from at least a hundred different
languages. That's because English has borrowed words from languages
everywhere, and continues to do so.

All living languages borrow, though not to the same degree. Each new word
brings its own color to the mosaic of the language, just as each new person
does to a population, making it richer and vibrant.

We see words derived from Greek, Latin, Spanish, French, etc. every day,
but this week we'll look at a few words from languages that are not so well
known -- Javanese, Coptic, Tamil, Shelta, and Hawaiian -- and also learn a
little about those languages.

lahar (LAH-har) noun

An avalanche-like mudflow composed of volcanic debris and water,
originating on the slopes of a volcano.

[From Javanese lahar (lava). Javanese is a language spoken on the island
of Java, Indonesia. It has about 80 million speakers.]

"Steam puffs from the same crater in 1975 raised fears that rising
heat could melt glaciers and cause lahars, torrential flows of mud,
debris and water capable of speeds up to 20 to 40 mph and with
enough force to bulldoze houses, trees and boulders."
Geologists Study Beneath Mount Baker; Associated Press; Apr 20, 2007.

X-Bonus

The soul should always stand ajar. That if the heaven inquire, He will not be
obliged to wait, Or shy of troubling her. -Emily Dickinson, poet (1830-1886)